From hundreds to thousands to tens of thousands, Freaknik grew, but during its first decade, almost all white Atlantans—and many black Atlantans over the age of 40—were oblivious. Then came Freaknik 1993.

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Where Iberian Pig takes its inspiration from all of Spain, Cooks & Soldiers focuses on the Basque region, which gained an international profile during the craze over molecular gastronomy and its first exponent, Ferran Adrià of elBulli.

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Southbound magazine, the newest ancillary title from the publishers of Atlanta magazine, showcases the top travel destinations in the Southeast. We visit idyllic small towns and exciting cities in search of outstanding vacation opportunities.Inside Southbound

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Georgia offers diverse places to see and things to do, from the mountains in North Georgia to the coasts of Savannah and The Golden Isles. Take a tour in your own backyard and visit all that our great state has to offer. Begin your tour

Dining in has its advantages: You can wear what you want, eat when you want, and drink as much as you like. To craft the perfect dinner party but skip dirtying the kitchen, look to these seven purveyors for the best meat, cheese, pasta, wine, and dessert.

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March 2015: The 90s

The 1990s were perhaps our city’s most transformative decade. A guide through the years, including Georgia’s changing politics, Bill Campbell, CNN’s groundbreaking war coverage, the Braves’ miracle season, Freaknik, and more.

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Lake Sinclair

Head downstream to visit Lake Oconee’s easygoing sibling

Of the two lakes that make up Middle Georgia’s “Lake Country,” only one—Oconee—has established itself in the Atlanta lexicon. That’s because in the 1980s an Ohio businessman transformed the land his grandfather owned into a luxury golf community that would eventually boast six championship courses and a Ritz-Carlton. (MetLife acquired the recession-battered Reynolds Plantation last year.)

On Lake Sinclair, there are no resorts or even hotels, no spas or golf courses—but several karaoke joints. Instead of gated subdivisions, you’ll find a $700,000 home next to a singlewide. But it’s fed by the same waters and framed by the same rolling, farm-dappled forest as its tony sister to the north. It’s fair to say Sinclair is Oconee with its shirt untucked. “Sinclair is and always will be an eclectic mix of homes,” says local real estate agent David Jackson. “Often people will go to Oconee one weekend and come to Sinclair the next and buy a lake house.” A lakefront lot on Sinclair runs about two-thirds the price of a comparably sized lot on Oconee.

Georgia Power began work on Sinclair Dam in 1929, halted it during the Depression, and finished in 1953, harnessing the Oconee River into a 15,330-acre reservoir between the historic towns of Milledgeville—state capital in the Civil War era—and Eatonton. Feeder creeks create numerous fingers that curl from the starfish-like arms of the main lake. Fishermen ply glassy weekday waters for bass, crappie (pictured top left), and catfish; jet skiers and pleasure boaters rule on weekends.

At the lake’s northern tip, forming the seam between Sinclair and Oconee, is Wallace Dam, Georgia Power’s largest hydropower plant and secret to Sinclair’s best feature: It’s always full. Burned into lake-loving Atlantans’ memories is the drought of 2007, when Allatoona’s water level plunged twenty-two feet, Lanier’s twenty. Oconee dipped only three feet, while Sinclair stayed mostly full. Electricity is generated by pumping water from Oconee into Sinclair during the day and in the opposite direction at night (to ensure plenty of flow during peak demand times); since Sinclair is downstream, it must be at full pool to reach the pumps. There’s something Truman Show–esque to the fact that the currents run in different directions by day and by night. The upside is that fish love the oxygen-rich water.

If you’re visiting for the weekend, your best option is to rent a private home. (We used the website vrbo.com to find a cozy three-bedroom A-frame for $250 a night.) Choose a location on the north end closer to Reynolds Plantation, or to the south near Milledgeville. For a night on the town, Aubri Lane’s in Milledgeville offers an understated, seafood-centric menu in a converted nineteenth-century bank. For a decidedly un-Oconeean experience, visit Duke’s Lounge & Dawg House, a boat-up shack on Sinclair where “the girls” bring daiquiris, burgers, and hot dogs to your boat. “We like to say ‘No shoes, no shirt, better service,’” says Bob Butch, whose family owns the place. Oh, and there’s karaoke most weekend nights.